Alice
by Kashy
Summary: Albus/Alice/James -- "It's never good to be best friends with your brother's girlfriend."


**Alice**

Next Gen Triangle Challenge

_James Potter II/Alice Longbottom II/Albus Potter_

* * *

The Break-up

"I think," Alice Longbottom said, brushing a strand of her blonde hair from her eyes. "That I might love James Potter."

Albus frowned slightly, but Alice wasn't paying attention, so he brushed off his worry and placed a small smile on his face. "Really? It's only taken you three years to figure it out."

She sighed happily and settled further back into the lounge that she was sitting on. "I'm going to tell him."

Albus looked at her cautiously. "Are you sure you want to tell him that you love him?"

Alice's hazel eyes searched his face quickly as she sat up. "You know something," she accused. "You know something about James Potter that I don't know!"

"Of course I do," Albus said, brushing it off. He really didn't want to explain to her that his brother had been seen with multiple girls over the last few weeks. He knew his brother hadn't been doing anything with them, but Alice was quite fragile and something like that could actually break her. "I am his brother after all; I know a lot more about him then you."

She sunk back down into the cushions again. "I suppose," she said, her voice full of doubt.

Albus smiled at her and patted her on the shoulder awkwardly. "Trust me, Alice, maybe you should wait a while before you tell him."

* * *

James Potter landed quickly on the ground and called his team in behind him. He watched as she landed gracefully on the ground and gave him a perfect smile. "Good practice guys," he said happily. "Its looks like it's going to rain, so I'll let you all go inside now."

His team turned to leave, but he called his favourite chaser back. She smiled at him happily without saying a word and remounted her broom, taking off into the sky, beckoning for him to follow. He followed quickly, his laughter echoing in the silence.

"You've really mastered this captain thing," she said as he came to a stop right in front of her and the goal posts. "I never thought you could do it."

"You should have more faith in me, love."

She laughed lightly and dismounted her broom, sitting on the goal post gracefully and cautiously. "I do have faith in you," she told him. "More faith then you realise."

James sat down beside her, using his broom as a foot rest, and wrapping an arm around her. "Are you worried about the up coming game?"

She nodded slightly, which James took as a yes, even though she would never admit it. He pulled her tighter to his side and placed a light kiss on her forehead. "I'll protect you," he whispered.

She nodded and lent her head against his shoulder. "You better, otherwise I'll end up in the hospital wing."

He squeezed her tightly. "The Slytherins are no match for us."

* * *

Albus stalked towards his brother. "Where have you been?" he demanded.

James rolled his eyes and sat down at the Gryffindor table, trying his best to ignore his brother's question. "Where's Alice?"

Albus muttered something under his breath that James couldn't understand and sat down beside him. "She coming slowly," he said. "You know how she is."

"Of course I know what she's like," James replied harshly. "She is my girlfriend after all."

"Maybe you should act like it then," Albus retorted. "Stop hanging around with other girls and start spending more time with her."

He snorted and began to pile food onto his plate. "I haven't been with other girls, unless Quidditch has suddenly grown breasts and blonde hair."

Albus tapped his fingers impatiently on the table as he looked around, trying to figure out who James was talking about, because it certainly wasn't Quidditch. His eyes landed on his cousin, Fred Weasley, who was talking to his two best friends Nate Long and Lynn Urquhart. He smirked and turned to his brother. "So," he said slowly. "How's the Quidditch team going anyway? Anything interesting been happening?"

James shrugged. "Nothing much. Same as usual. Though, Lynn has gotten a lot better since last year."

Albus glanced back down the table. "I was thinking about asking her out sometime, maybe to the next Hogsmede trip."

He watched as James' eyes flickered towards Lynn. "Go for it," he replied with a shrug. "I'm sure Fred would be happy that she finally found herself a boyfriend."

Albus frowned. That hadn't worked out the way he had planned. James was supposed to become jealous of him wanting Lynn and admit that he had been flirting with her behind Alice's back.

* * *

"Hullo James," Alice sighed as her boyfriend of three years sat down beside her and kissed her on the cheek. Her best friend Fiona looked down at the book in her hand, pretending neither of them were there. Alice didn't understand why Fiona had become so self-conscious around her boyfriend all of a sudden; she used to tell him off constantly.

"Hey Ali," James replied. "Hello Fiona."

Fiona nodded slightly. Alice frowned at her friend. "Fiona isn't feeling to well," she lied. "Don't mind her."

James nodded, buying the lie, but still eying Fiona curiously. "Did Albus tell you about Lynn?"

Alice shook her head. "No. What about her?"

He shrugged and settled back into the lounge beside Alice. "It seems he has a little crush on her. He's going to ask her to Hogsmede."

She cringed internally, but hid it well from James on the outside because a pang of jealousy ran through her. She bit her lip and changed the topic quickly. "Where were you after Quidditch practice?"

James looked her in the eye, something that he always seemed to do. "I was flying with one of my chasers," he replied easily. "You know, just practising."

She laughed. Of course he had been practising, it's all her did. "You better win this year James," she laughed. "Or I'll think that you've been lying to me and really spending all your time with some other girl."

He laughed nervously, though she didn't pick up on it, and ran a hand through his hair. "Mmm, yeah." James stood and grasped her hand, kissing it lightly. "Well my lady, I best be off to bed. Quidditch practice in the morning, you know."

Alice nodded her head, completely understanding. "Sleep well," she answered, squeezing his hand tightly. "I'll miss you."

He gave her a breath taking smile before departing up the stairs to his dormitory.

* * *

Albus caught up to Alice in the corridor on the way to Transfiguration three days later. "Hey Ali," he called. "Wait up!"

He watched as the blonde slowed immediately and he took and few quick strides to catch her. Albus took her bag from her, like he usually did, and slipped it over his shoulder. "You see my brother today?" he asked her.

Alice shook her head and grabbed his hand as they continued down the corridor. "No, I haven't seen him since Monday night."

He frowned. "He hasn't even talked to you?"

Alice merely shrugged. "I don't mind at all, he's busy with school and Quidditch."

"He can't be that busy," Albus pointed out. "Nobody can be that busy except for the seventh year's maybe."

"I'll see him eventually," she replied calmly. "You seem more worried about this then me."

"Of course I am," he said, clearly outraged that she wasn't seeing his side of this. "I'd hate it if my girlfriend was constantly at Quidditch practice and flirting with other guys!"

Alice stopped in her tracks and turned to face Albus slowly. "What did you just say?"

He opened his mouth and closed it, cursing himself for being so stupid. "Look Alice," he said as calmly as he could, taking a step towards her. "James isn't just playing the Quidditch field."

She frowned, which made Albus frown, because Alice Longbottom barley ever frowned. "He wouldn't, would he?"

"I'm sorry Alice," he said quietly. "I love my brother and all, but he can be a complete and utter jerk at times."

"But James wouldn't…" She shook her head, an internal battle raging inside her head. James Sirius Potter wouldn't cheat on her would he? He always seemed so nice and so caring towards her, she had always been so patient towards him, letting him do his thing while she did hers. But what if he was using that time to be with other girls?

"But he's always at Quidditch practice," she said, clearly baffled. "So he can't be seeing…Oh no, it's somebody on the team isn't it!"

He gave her a small smile and took both her hands in his, squeezing them tight. "I don't know Alice, but people have told me that he's been seen with numerous girls over the past few months. Both on and off the Quidditch pitch."

"I-I have to break up with him," she stuttered. "I can't have him breaking up with me, making me look like a fool for not knowing that he was cheating on me."

"I don't think James' cheating on you," he reassured her. "I think he might just be playing the field a bit."

Alice shook her head and removed her hands from his. "I have to break up with James."

Albus frowned and looked her in the eyes. "You can't. The other day you said that you loved him; you said that you were going to tell him that. Maybe just wait a few more days, watch him closely. If you see him doing anything that you don't like, then break up with him. Just don't go on my word alone."

She nodded and grabbed his hand again. "Let's go to class."

* * *

James felt as though he was being watched.

But he still sat with his arm around his blonde chaser on the Quidditch hoops after training. Her head was on his chest and she was rambling on about something to do with her astronomy essay. He listened to her half-heartedly as he stared at the sky. He should really be with Alice right now…

He was confident that Alice knew how much he loved her. Sure, James hadn't exactly told her, he couldn't find the guts to. He would never admit that to anyone but himself though, since he was a strong, manly Potter who wasn't afraid of anything or anyone. Besides his brother, he was slightly afraid of Albus at times.

James ran a hand through his hair, trying to clear his thoughts and focus on the chaser in his arms. Alice wasn't a problem at the moment; she would never be a problem because she would understand that he was only sitting with a good _friend. _Alice wouldn't think anything of this because she knew how much he loved her. Because she knew that he wanted to marry her.

* * *

Alice Longbottom was a patient girl, but she was slowly losing it was her James Sirius Potter. What was really testing her patience though was the fact that he was sitting on the goal posts on the Quidditch pitch with another girl in his arms.

She walked back to the common room quickly and quietly, not wanting to draw attention to herself or look angry. She wasn't that type of person. She was cool, calm and collected and James Potter wasn't going to ruin that for her.

Albus raised an eyebrow at her as she sat down next to him. He must have sensed something was wrong, she thought since she didn't want to believe that she had a look of pure anger written on her face. "What did you see?" He asked.

Alice blinked a few times. "He was with some girl," she choked out. "On the Quidditch pitch."

He wrapped his arm around her. "I'm sorry, Alice."

"Don't be," she sobbed slightly, pushing a piece of hair away from her face. "It's not your fault. All you did was tell me the truth. He hasn't just been playing the Quidditch field; he's been playing the female field too."

He nodded and wrapped her in his arms, hugging her tightly. "What are you going to do?"

"Break up with him."

* * *

"What?" James practically yelled. "What do you mean?"

"I'm sorry," she sobbed quietly. "But this - I don't think it's working out. I mean, I really like you and all… but I really think we need to break up, or at least take a break from this relationship."

He frowned. "What brought this on? We were perfectly happy."

"No, we weren't James. Admit it, you were never happy."

He lent forward to touch her but she pulled back. "I'm so sorry James," she said quietly. "But I think it's for the best."

He watched as she walked off, straight into the arms of his younger brother. James frowned. No this couldn't be happening, he thought. I was not just dumped by the love of my life for my stupid brother.

Albus looked up at him from over the top of Alice's shoulder and gave him a slight glare. James ran a hand through his hair as he glared back.

Albus Severus Potter was going to pay for this…

* * *

**A/N: **Hope you enjoyed the first chapter; this is going to be a two-shot so there'll be one more. While I'm here, I'll throw in a disclaimer…

Disclaimer: These characters are not mine…recognizable characters belong to J.K Rowling, while the other (minus Lynn, she's mine) belong to Nanaho-Hime.


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